Premier Alison Redford gets her Tory football ready. But the guy in the stripy short can’t be a real Albertan – the cloud bubble gives him away. Alberta politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: the real Ms. Redford and fixed election d…
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David Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Too many non-union managers, not union members, drive up Alberta government costs
A typical Alberta civil servant, who apparently can’t be trusted to work alone, helps his manager doff his coat. Actual unionized Alberta public employees may not be exactly as illustrated, but the manager is probably depicted pretty accurately. Belo…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The fine points of democracy are all Greek to Albertans
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, and French President Nikolas Sarkozy threaten Greek taxpayers with expulsion from the Eurozone if they don’t shape up and destroy the Greek middle class. European politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. B…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: in alberta politics, what was once old is new again.
Premier Alison Redford is expected to introduce new fixed-election date legislation in the postponed fall sitting of the Assembly, expected to sit in late November. In 2009, I wrote: “In April 2008, St. Albert PC MLA Ken Allred introduced a Private Member’s Bill, Bill 203: Election Statutes (Fixed Election Dates), in the Legislative Assembly of […]
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: ‘budget dialogue’ survey really an online monologue.
In the pantheon of poorly written and meaningless online surveys, the Government of Alberta’s new ‘Budget Dialogue’ online survey now rests upon a high pedestal (other recent polls belong in their own pantheon). If you were not so lucky to have been invited to join Premier Alison Redford, Finance Minister Ron Liepert, or Treasury Board President […]
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The plan to give more power to the Alberta Health Quality Council is just a broken promise with attitude
All rise! The Health Quality Council of Alberta is now in session! Independent and impartial commissions of inquiry in Alberta may not be exactly as illustrated … or as promised. Below: Fred Horne, Alison Redford.Back on June 7 when she was running f…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: wildrose behind mysterious ‘push poll’ attacking alison redford.
Politics in Alberta got a little meaner this week when word of a new ‘push poll’ attacking Premier Alison Redford began to circulate among political circles. In typical push poll fashion, the automated telephone survey asks participants to answer a series of loaded negative questions about Premier Redford, and then respond to whether they would […]
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: redford’s ‘change from within’ is a nice slogan, but when you take a closer look…
Despite the narrative of “change from within” that was made popular after the October 1 leadership vote, the wave of change has not spilled far into the Progressive Conservative ranks since Alison Redford was elected into her new role one month ago. – The Globe & Mail is reporting that the controversial Kelley Charlebois is […]
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Listen up, people! Hear the entire mystery push-poll for yourself
Your Voice Alberta pollsters somewhere in Alberta get ready to call you with the latest information about Alison Redford. Alberta push-pollers, of course, may not be exactly as illustrated. Click below and hear the push poll for yourself: Push-Pol…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Happy Halloween: The Mystery of the Missing Museum and what Edmonton needs to tell the Tories
Looking for the money: The typical Albertan, and the Albertosaurus, above, may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Federal Tories never offered more than $30 million to Edmonton museum project, says MP Laurie Hawn … whoops, the latest Conservative …
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Who is behind the ‘push poll’ attacking Alison Redford?
Is this the Albertan to whom I am speaking? The mystery push-pollster busy in Alberta this week – the caller you’re speaking with, of course, may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith, sleazy U.S. political tactician …
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Wildrose leader nails the problem – but not the solution – with Calgary’s shortage of health professionals
The “Calgary South Health Campus” rises from a field in Calgary’s southeast corner. Below: Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith, Tory Health Minister Fred Horne, radio host Dave Rutherford. I just hate to agree with Danielle Smith.Regular readers of th…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: signed, sealed, and not delivered: the new royal alberta museum.
Hastily prepared in the final months of Premier Ed Stelmach‘s term in office, the construction of the new Royal Alberta Museum had political legacy project written all over it. This is why it should not come as such a shock that the funding for the project is in jeopardy since Mr. Stelmach left office in […]
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Gary Mar for prime minister of Canada? Don’t giggle: It could happen
Canadian Prime Minister Gary Mar, at left, converses with the leaders of the NDP Opposition in Ottawa, circa 2025. Future Conservative prime ministers, of course, may not be exactly as illustrated. Nice to know that, even in the future, men don’t hav…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta’s 48 hour legislative lightning round
The two-day sitting of Alberta’s Legislative Assembly has come and gone with little fan fare. Despite the continental shift in the Assembly seating plan – the entire back row of the Tory caucus was sitting in the front bench this time last year – little appears to have actually changed over the past 48 hours. […]
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: why would the government of alberta help fund the proposed Katz group arena?
This week Edmonton’s City Council is holding hearings and holding a vote to purchase the lands underneath the proposed Katz Group Arena on 104th Avenue north of downtown Edmonton. This vote will take place despite the $100 million which is still missing from the funding formula that has been negotiated by Mayor Stephen Mandel, the […]
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: In case you were wondering: a primer on how things still work in Alberta
Choice in seniors’ accommodation that suits your income, lifestyle and family structure. Below: Brian Mason, Fred Horne.Former Alberta energy minister Ron Liepert, who is now Premier Alison Redford’s minister of finance, this morning denied Opposit…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: tick tick tick… defusing ed stelmach’s tory time-bomb.
Restoring $107 million into the provincial Education budget, committing to hold an inquiry into the intimidation of doctors, promising increased consultations on water management, and halting (after some fumbling) the approval of two controversial electrical transmission line projects through rural Alberta, Premier Alison Redford is quickly moving to defuse the electoral time bomb of unpopular […]
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The jury’s out – or it should be, anyway – on the Calgary Herald’s latest pro-Redford poll
Premier Alison Redford of the Popular Conservatives is really popular with these guys, you can just tell!Wow! This just in! Alison Redford is so popular….How popular is she?Alberta’s new premier is so popular she’s more popular that her popular p…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Flippity flop flip… has Alison Redford’s government ‘jumped the shark’ already?
Alberta Premier Alison Redford, immediately after ‘jumping the shark.’ Alberta politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Whaaaaaaaaat?! Below: The quotable LBJ.Is this the worst start ever, or what?Barely sworn in as Progressive Conservati…
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